


Good Morning, Eddie. I'm Never Coming Back.

by Abnormal_Cleric



Series: Never Coming Back [3]
Category: Batman - All Media Types
Genre: Abuse, M/M, Physical Abuse, Unhealthy Relationships
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-27
Updated: 2021-02-08
Packaged: 2021-03-13 07:34:28
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 1,558
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29025039
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Abnormal_Cleric/pseuds/Abnormal_Cleric
Summary: Either Edward had caught him in a good mood or he was in for the plot-twist of the century.
Relationships: Harvey Dent/Edward Nygma, Jonathan Crane/Edward Nygma
Series: Never Coming Back [3]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2118612
Comments: 1
Kudos: 15





	1. Chapter 1

Harvey caught him the moment he walked through the door. One arm around his waist and a kiss on the back of his neck. “You’re home late.”

Edward smiled and laced his fingers between Harvey’s. Either he had caught him in a good mood or he was in for the plot-twist of the century. “You know what it’s like trying to get anywhere in this city. Between the police barricade and the hijacked bus, I’m surprised I made it back at all.”

Another kiss and Harvey was taking his hat and hanging it next to the green one. “For a minute there, I thought maybe… Maybe you forgot who you were supposed to come home to.”

“Never. Who else could there possibly be?” Edward knew the answer to that before he even asked. He hadn’t so much as thought about Jonathan in months, but… evidently, that didn’t mean Harvey had forgotten. He tried to pull himself out of Harvey’s arms so he could take his jacket off. “Don’t worry about him. He’s… he was always just a friend.”

Harvey let him go just long enough to lock the door and let him hang his jacket. He didn’t grace that lie with an answer. All he did was take Edward by the arm and drag him into the bedroom.

Of course. Edward could smell it from the start, but he had assumed… he had thought maybe… It had been a pretty good week. What had he done wrong?

It didn’t really matter how drunk Two-Face was or why. He was still bigger than Edward and he would still be crushing his arm in his fist. “You have two minutes to strip down and handcuff yourself to the bed. Bitch.”

Edward’s voice barely filled the space between them. “Yes, sir.”

Two-Face practically tossed him across the floor and watched him struggle to his feet. The man was as graceful as a newborn deer, all legs and arms and unsteady footing.

Exactly two minutes later on the dot, Edward’s shirt and pants were on the floor. He was standing at the bedside table with the top drawer open and tears pulling at his eyes. His hand was over his mouth. The drawer was empty. He couldn’t find them.

“Time’s up.” Two-Face pulled the handcuffs out of his pocket and dangled them from one finger. “Damn. And here I thought you were so clever.”

Edward had time for two breaths before it was too late. “Please, Harvey…”

He shook his head. The crowbar on the dresser was cold and solid. He was used to something a little more sophisticated, but in his line of work, you used what you could get. The first blow was fire and the second was ice. The third broke the skin and the fourth cracked a rib.

Neither of them kept count after that. Blood covered the floor and bed. Edward’s glasses lay in pieces a few feet away. He stopped responding.

Harvey Dent dropped the bloody crowbar and knelt next to his broken lover. He pushed the blood-soaked hair out of Edward’s face and kissed his forehead. There was still a heartbeat. So long as Harvey treated him right, there would be. The poor man was just overconfident. Needed to learn when to admit he was wrong. “Do you still love me?”


	2. Chapter 2

He had been to Gotham General Hospital exactly three times. Once to be born, once after a fight with the Batman, and once to steal the medical records of an early test subject. This was the first time he had ever visited someone.

Edward Nygma was barely breathing, but he was breathing.

Jonathan wasn’t planning to stay long. All he wanted was to know Ed was alive. He had that. He also knew he had been right. Maybe the doctors were fooled or at least playing along, but Jonathan Crane had been teaching psychology for too long to not know what had happened. This was the direct result of domestic abuse. He should go.

He didn’t care. Edward had brought this on himself. He should have known better. Jonathan closed his eyes. He was twelve. He was crying. His mother’s voice echoed and crackled like broken glass on a gravel road. His hands were cold and the scar on his thigh burned. Eddie would be fine. No. Jonathan Crane had been teaching psychology for too long to think that was true. Whoever had suckered Edward Nygma into this trap was clever enough to keep him there.

John should go. He should be at home. The fall semester was starting in two weeks and he wasn’t ready.

The door opened and a tall, broad figure slipped into the room.

Jonathan Crane had been teaching psychology in Gotham for too long to believe this was a concerned third party.


	3. Chapter 3

Harvey Dent stopped when he saw the Scarecrow. Not because he was afraid. He was just surprised the dweeb still cared. “Afternoon, Crane. What do you think you’re doing here?”

Jonathan thought about saying something biting and cold, but his hands were twitching like dead insects and his eyes couldn’t focus on one thing for more than a second. Harvey, Two-Face, the door, his feet, Edward, back to Harvey.

“Yeah? Thought that might be the case. Always is with you.” Two-Face took a few steps across the room and planted his feet a little too close to Jonathan. He was shorter than the Scarecrow, if only by a few inches, but height was far from the only factor. “Tell you what. Your spine looks pretty important to you, seeing as it’s about all you’ve got left. Scram.”

It seemed that every time he was given a choice between fight, flight, and freeze, he always picked freeze. It was a fatal flaw of his, one he would have to remedy someday. For now, he couldn’t so much as open his mouth to defend himself. His lungs were full of oil and his brain was full of static.  _ Two-Face? Really, Edward? How stupid are you? _

“You know, you’re right. This isn’t like me.” He cracked a smile and reached into his pocket. “How about a friendly bet? You win and I let you walk home with all your fingers. I win, and I’ll be glad to take you somewhere more private and teach you not to interfere with what doesn’t concern you.”

His vision blurred again. The only thing in focus was the silver dollar in Two-Face’s hand.


	4. Chapter 4

Harvey would never believe it was a chance encounter. Ed should say nothing and walk away. He wasn’t the best at keeping his mouth shut. “Evening, John.”

Jonathan Crane didn’t meet his gaze. “You shouldn’t talk to me. Two-Face will hurt you.”

“How do you know?” Edward’s throat was full of broken glass and empty lies.

“How do I know what? That you left me for Harvey Dent? Or that he’s abusing you?” Jonathan’s coat wasn’t nearly enough, but it was better than nothing. It was better than running home to a violent killer who pretended to love him for the sake of a good laugh. “I’m a psychologist, Eddie. He beats you, but you’re smitten enough to swallow any apology he shoves down your throat. I know it’s Two-Face because I talked to him while you were in a coma.”

The Riddler wasn’t nearly blind enough to believe that Harvey Dent was a good man, but he was smart enough to play along. “John, I’m fine. I can handle him.”

The expanse of Aparo Park spread out between them and the wind carried Doctor Crane’s voice in the direction of Harvey’s apartment. “I should have fought for you.”

“Yeah.” Edward’s arms burned like fire and he could feel a phantom bullet wound in his leg. “You should have. Goodbye, John. I’m never coming back.”

It didn’t have to end like this. He could leave Harvey and find someone else, or he could spend some time alone. It would be nice to get away from all the drama.

The sun was going down. The bat would come hunting soon. He had to go back.

The Scarecrow crawled away into the coming night and the Riddler turned to head back to Harvey’s fake apologies and sweet, loving bruises. His footsteps echoed through the street alongside the sharp click of a cane. He wasn’t going to cry. He was going to let Harvey kiss him and tell him he loved him. He was going to let himself believe it.

* * *

“Eddie, what’s wrong? You seem down.”

“I talked to Scarecrow.”

Harvey set his glass on the bedside table and closed his eyes. “How’d that go?”

Edward gently lowered himself onto the bed next to Harvey. His voice dropped to a whisper. “Please hold me.”

He did. Harvey Dent pulled his little sphinx into his arms and held him. He didn’t speak. He just held him and pressed his lips behind Edward’s jaw. Maybe this wouldn’t last long, but that wasn’t the point. The point was for Edward Nygma to remember this for the rest of his life. The point was for Edward to miss him when he left.

In the morning, Edward would wake up full of bruises he didn’t remember and a hangover he hadn’t asked for. Tonight, he would be close enough to happiness that he could reach out and touch it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The End, I guess. I think I'll leave this one off here, but if you liked it, let me know. I may or may not be willing to write something more with these three. Or with other characters. Thanks to everyone who's been here since the beginning. And if you just tuned in, thanks to you too. Leave a comment to tell me what you liked and if you'd want to see anything in the future.


End file.
